Real Estate Document Management Software with Free Backups
Every deal's documents in one file per transaction, plus free monthly backups, a complete activity history and an online record you can access from anywhere. When the auditor calls, you're already done.
Full access for 14 days. The real product, your real deals, day one.
No credit card. No contract. We set it up with you, free.
G2 4.6/5 (21 reviews) · Capterra 4.8/5 (10 reviews), as of October 2026 · 1,700+ brokerages
A document management system built around each deal.
Paperless Pipeline keeps every document with the transaction it belongs to, next to its checklist, key dates and review history.
One file per transaction
Documents, notes, emails, checklists and the activity history stay together on each deal.
Standard names and labels
Standardized document names keep filing consistent, and color-coded Doc Labels group what needs attention.
Matched to the checklist
Smart Checklists line each document up against its matching task, so a missing form stands out.
Every version kept
Every document version, note and review is captured in the transaction's history.
Find any deal fast
Search and filter transactions by agent, office, status or date, and save the searches you run often.
Unlimited storage
Every plan includes unlimited storage, with records kept on a rolling 10-year basis while your account is active.
See how checklists and Advanced Search work.
Get documents in from any phone or inbox.
Paperless Pipeline runs in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install. However a document arrives, it lands on the right transaction.
- Phone upload. Agents upload documents from their phone, or snap them with the camera, straight into the right transaction.
- MailDrop email. Every transaction and every user has its own MailDrop address. Lenders and title companies can email it directly, and attachments land in Unassigned Docs, ready to name and assign.
- Email from the deal. Email documents and notes straight from a transaction, including to outside and co-op agents, with reusable templates.
- Notifications. Email notifications go out when documents are added or tasks come due.
Every action, archived. Every file, recoverable.
Every month you get a free automatic backup of the transactions created in the previous month and those that closed, expired or fell through that month, as a ZIP file, with one folder per property address, that opens with the unzip tool built into most computers, no Paperless Pipeline login needed. If you cancel, download your backups first, or keep everything online, read-only, on the $35/month Archive Plan.
Every action is also logged in the transaction's history: uploads, assignments, comments and reviews, alongside checklist and note activity. Search or filter that history by type, user and date range, so "who touched this file, and when?" takes seconds to answer.
- Free automated monthly backups
- Documents in their original format, with notes, emails, checklists and activity history as plain text
- Self-serve download of historical archives
- ZIP archives with one folder per property address, yours to keep locally
Everything for a deal, downloadable on demand.
Download a full backup of any transaction - all of its data - without waiting for the monthly run. Hand it to your auditor, or keep it for your own records.
- On-demand download of any individual transaction
- Free monthly backups of the previous month's transactions, organized by property address
- Complete review history and transaction activity history
- Vendor-neutral format you can open and keep anywhere
Controls your broker of record can sign off on.
Role-based access, a documented review workflow, and a full transaction activity history give your designated broker the controls regulators expect - without slowing the team down.
By default, agents only see the transactions they are on, and permissions are set per user, so an admin can view every deal in a location while an agent only uploads documents. Every document also carries a permission category (Office, Listing, Sale, Buyer, Public or Private) that controls who can open it, and you can preset a default category on each standardized document name. Each office sees only what it needs, while leadership keeps a company-wide view. One Unreviewed page lists every document still waiting for review, with inline PDF preview.
- Role-based access control across every object
- Document review workflow - admins mark each doc reviewed for accuracy and completeness
- Full transaction activity history - who did what, and when
- Designated broker dashboard for sign-off
Simple enough for every agent to use.
If agents don't use it, none of the rest matters. Paperless Pipeline lets you hide every screen an agent will never use, so the system fits tech-averse veterans and power agents alike.
- Role profiles. Out-of-the-box profiles for agents, TCs, brokers and finance, tuned per user as roles change.
- A stripped-down view. Veterans see only the screens they touch each week.
- Speed for power agents. Quick-add and quick-navigate shortcuts, bulk document actions and saved searches.
- New hires, productive on day one. A role-based profile plus a starter checklist for their first deal.
- Daily digest. Every user can get a daily email of what's due today, what's coming up tomorrow and what's overdue.
See what each agent sees.
How long does a brokerage need to keep transaction files?
It depends on your state. Each state real estate commission sets how long brokers must keep transaction records, so check your own state's current rules for the period that applies to you. Paperless Pipeline keeps each transaction online for 10 years from the date it is created while your account is active and paid, with every reviewed document and the full Activity History on the transaction, and your monthly backups give you a copy you control.
The clock usually starts at closing for a completed sale, or at contract termination for a deal that falls through, not on the day the file was opened. Texas brokers, for example, keep records at least four years from closing or termination, and California brokers keep them for three years. What must be kept typically includes the purchase agreement and every amendment, seller and agency disclosures, the listing or buyer agency agreement, inspection and repair addenda, the closing or settlement statement, and any trust account or earnest money records tied to the deal. Because storage and locations are unlimited, a closed office's files are never purged to save space.
E-signatures that come back to the file.
Pipeline eSign is built into Paperless Pipeline. Send a request from the transaction or the Reference Library, and smart, reusable forms fill in signer roles and transaction details for you.
- Signing order. Set the order people sign in, copy in people who only need the signed document, and add a personal message.
- No signer accounts. Each signer gets an email with a secure link to review and sign from any device.
- Live tracking. Check status, send reminders or cancel at any time.
- Back in the file. Completed documents return to the right transaction automatically, and a final copy is emailed to every recipient.
Signatures are legally binding. You pay for the requests you send, in blocks of 10, with no per-user fees, and each request can include any number of documents and signers. See Pipeline eSign.
Contracts that fill in the transaction for you.
Pipeline AI reads contract documents and fills in transaction fields for you. You review and save.
AI Create
Drop in the signed contract and Pipeline AI fills the new transaction: property address, parties, price and dates, with business holidays counted and key dates calculated. Every field shows its source in the contract, so you can check it in one click.
AI Update
Drop in an amendment, addendum or repair agreement and Pipeline AI marks every change side by side, old value against new. Nothing moves until you apply it.
"20, 25 minutes to create a transaction. Less than five now."
Connect the tools your brokerage already uses.
Your CRM, your e-sign tool and your file storage should all feed one place: the transaction. Paperless Pipeline connects natively to Follow Up Boss, DocuSign, Dropbox Sign and Dropbox, and to thousands more apps through Zapier.
| Tool | What it does with Paperless Pipeline |
|---|---|
| Follow Up Boss | Status, key dates, price, commission and recent documents show on the lead profile, one click from the full file. |
| DocuSign | Send from any transaction. The executed PDF drops back in under its standardized document name, ready for review. |
| Dropbox Sign | Send without leaving the file and see what is still waiting on a signature. Signed PDFs return to the same transaction. |
| Dropbox | Import documents straight into Unassigned Docs in a few clicks, then assign them to the right transactions. |
| Zapier | A status change can reach thousands of apps. When a deal closes, for example, Zapier can create the bill in QuickBooks with the address, close date and commission filled in. |
| Calendars | Subscribe Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar to your task due dates as a one-way live feed. |
See every integration and the Follow Up Boss integration.
What scattered files cost a brokerage.
Poor document management doesn't show up as an abstract risk. It shows up as specific, expensive moments.
- A missing disclosure, found during a state audit or a buyer complaint months after closing, with no record of whether it was ever delivered. Paperless Pipeline flags missing required documents before sign-off.
- A signed addendum a client emailed straight to an agent that never reached the file, so the closing statement and the signed terms don't match. Forwarded to the transaction's MailDrop address, it lands on the deal.
- A deal file no one can rebuild after the agent who handled it leaves, because the documents lived on a personal drive or inbox. With every document on the transaction, the file stays complete.
- Confidential files open to everyone. A shared folder where any agent can open any file exposes client financial information, personal disclosures and commission figures. In Paperless Pipeline, each document's permission category decides who can open it.
Each one is storage without structure: the files exist somewhere, but nobody can prove who had them, when, or in which version.
A shared drive holds files. A brokerage holds deals.
Generic drives store and share files well. What they don't do is run the deal around them. For a small office of solo agents, a drive can be fine. For a brokerage that wants to grow and stay audit-ready, it isn't.
| Topic | Shared drive or inbox | Paperless Pipeline |
|---|---|---|
| Where files live | Folders and email threads, wherever each person saved them | One file per transaction, with its notes, emails and checklist |
| Missing documents | Found when someone goes looking | Flagged on the checklist before sign-off |
| Who reviewed it | A last-modified date, not a reviewer | Who marked each document Reviewed, and when |
| Who can open it | Anyone with access to the folder | Per-user permissions plus a permission category on every document |
| Key dates | Tracked by hand in someone's calendar | Calculated from the contract dates |
| Signed copies | Downloaded from email and uploaded again | Returned to the transaction automatically |
| Handing a file to an auditor | Zip a folder and hope it's complete | Download the transaction with its documents and history |
See how document compliance review works.
What brokers say about keeping every file in one place.
"What I really have always liked about Paperless Pipeline is that it's one place where, if someone were to come from the state and ask to see someone's last three transactions, it's all there. The document retention policy makes sure of it and it's easy to get. I don't have to wonder where's that file cabinet."
"Documents are being turned in faster, they're being uploaded on their own. As a conveyancer, thank you for putting that in the file. That way I don't have hundreds of emails."
"I can pull up anything from anywhere and prove that things got done. So Paperless Pipeline is here to stay."
"I don't have to shuffle stuff around. I don't have to worry about leaving confidential information on my desk, I shut it down, close it out, and it's secure. I don't have to run around behind an agent saying 'I need this piece of paper', it should be in the system, categorized, and right there. Really convenient."
Getting started with audit trail and backups in Paperless Pipeline
Usable on day one. Fully running in days.
Day one: log in, invite your team, and open a real deal.
Within days: free setup, free admin training, and free transaction import get your whole office running, included on every plan.
Your trial includes up to 9 transactions, enough to run several real closings end to end. Use them to test what matters for your files: email a document to a transaction's MailDrop address, upload one from your phone, send one for signature and watch it come back, set a permission category, then download the whole transaction.
Backups run themselves
Automatic monthly backups are generated for you, no scripts, no scheduled tasks for you to babysit.
Download on demand
Pull any historical archive in one click, and keep an off-site copy on your own systems.
On-demand transaction download
Download any transaction on demand, all of its data, without waiting for the monthly backup.
Sign-off dashboards
Designated brokers see exactly what was reviewed, by whom, and when.
Moving your files in, step by step.
Free transaction import is included on every plan, and the Paperless Pipeline team will run a bulk migration for you at no charge.
- 01
Export what you have.
Pull every active and recently closed file out of your current system before you change anything.
- 02
Standardize names first.
Fix inconsistent document names before the import, then set your standardized document names, labels and checklists in Paperless Pipeline.
- 03
Import your open deals.
Upload them by CSV, up to 50 transactions per file, with each agent's email address so every deal maps to the right person.
- 04
Run both for two weeks.
Most brokerages run both systems for two weeks, then stop logging into the old one.
Setup and admin training are free too. See getting started.
Audit-ready records for designated brokers, compliance leads, and IT teams.
Designated brokers
Walk into any audit prepared.
A complete document review and activity history on every transaction, plus on-demand downloads.
Compliance leads
Prove the right steps were followed.
A complete review and activity history shows who reviewed what, and when.
IT and security
Data you own and can take with you.
Free monthly backups in an open, vendor-neutral format, downloaded to your own storage.
Transaction coordinators
Stop chasing agents for re-uploads.
Comment on the document, and the comment can be emailed to the agent automatically.
State auditors are happy with it and gave it their approval. Simple, cost effective, and it works!
How Paperless Pipeline audit trails and backups compare.
Backups and the audit trail are included on every plan. Plans start at $69/month, priced per transaction, not per user.
Audit trail and backup questions, answered.
Still curious? Our team is one message away.
Are backups really free?
Yes - automatic monthly backups are included on every plan at no extra cost. Paperless Pipeline generates them for you each month, so there are no scripts to write and nothing to schedule or babysit. See what comes with each plan on our pricing page.
What format are the backups in?
A ZIP file, the universal format most computers open with their built-in unzip option. Each transaction has its own folder named by property address, with documents in their original format and notes, emails, checklists and activity history as plain text. Each monthly archive covers the transactions created in the previous month and those that closed, expired or fell through that month, so your records stay usable and portable even if you ever leave.
How often does Paperless Pipeline back up my data?
Automatically, once a month. The backup covers your company-wide transactions from the previous month - those created, closed, or expired - and lands ready for an admin to download and keep off-site for extra peace of mind.
Who can download the backups?
Master admins and users you grant the company-wide backup permission. It is meant for trusted admin staff and transaction coordinators, so you control exactly who can pull a full copy of your brokerage's records.
Can I download a single transaction without waiting for the monthly backup?
Yes - an admin can download any individual transaction on demand. This is ideal for handing a closed file to an agent or pulling one deal for review; Paperless Pipeline emails a download link within a few minutes, and the file contains all of that transaction's data.
What audit trail does Paperless Pipeline keep?
Paperless Pipeline records a complete Activity History on every transaction: every action logged, dated and attributed, so your broker has a clear, time-stamped trail of who did what. Document review and required documents are handled on the document compliance page.
How does Paperless Pipeline help us stay audit-ready?
By keeping your documents, review history, and key dates organized and accessible from anywhere. Brokers can mark documents reviewed, see what still needs attention, and pull a transaction's full history in seconds, so an audit becomes a download rather than a scramble. Explore the wider toolset on our features page.
What happens to my data if we cancel?
If you cancel, download your backups before you go, or move to the $35/month Archive Plan to keep everything online, read-only. Because backups are in an open, vendor-neutral format, the copy you keep stays fully usable on your own systems. If you are weighing a switch, our pricing page lays out what each plan includes.
Can a broker control who reviews and signs off on documents?
Yes - document review is permission-based, so only the right admins can mark a document reviewed. Pairing review permissions with per-location access gives your designated broker a clean way to confirm every file was checked, with the review recorded in the transaction's history.
What is real estate document management software?
Real estate document management software is the central system a brokerage uses to store, organize, secure, find and track the documents in its deals: contracts, disclosures, amendments, inspection reports and closing statements. Paperless Pipeline keeps them in one file per transaction, next to the checklist, key dates and review history, with free monthly backups you download and keep.
How is document management different from transaction management?
Document management stores and organizes files. Transaction management also runs the deal, with checklists, automatically calculated key dates, a document review history and a compliance audit trail. Every transaction management system includes document management, but not the other way around. Paperless Pipeline is real estate transaction management software, so the documents and the deal live in the same file.
How much does real estate document management software cost?
It depends on the pricing model. Some tools charge per user, which adds up every time you add an agent. Paperless Pipeline is priced on the new transactions you start each month, from $69/month for up to 5, with unlimited users, offices and storage, free setup and no contract. Free monthly backups and the audit trail are included on every plan.
Is document management software worth it for a small brokerage?
Yes, because pricing follows the new transactions you start each month, not your headcount, so a small office pays for its own volume. The 14-day trial includes up to 9 transactions, enough to run several real closings end to end before you pay, with no credit card. See Paperless Pipeline for small and solo brokerages.
Does it handle leases and commercial deals as well as sales?
Yes. Checklists and required documents follow the deal type, side, label and location, and labels usually stand for property type: residential, commercial, land, rental or condo. So a sale in one office and a lease in another can require completely different documents. Commercial firms keep contracts, LOIs, leases, surveys and title documents on each transaction.
Can each office use its own document names and checklists?
Yes. Checklists, document names, labels and statuses are configured per location, so one office can run a full residential checklist while another runs a commercial one. Locations are unlimited on every plan. Each office only sees what applies to it, while leadership reports across every office from one account.
Can commission paperwork live in the same file?
Yes, with the optional Commission Module, from $58/month. Splits, caps, fees and referrals are worked out on the transaction, and you can generate a branded CDA per transaction with agent, co-op, referral, franchise and brokerage lines, then email it to title or download it as a PDF in one click. See the Commission Module.
Does Paperless Pipeline have an API?
No. Paperless Pipeline does not offer a public API. It connects through native integrations and, for everything else, through Zapier, which links a status change in Paperless Pipeline to thousands of other apps. See every integration.
Can we give a state examiner access to our files?
Yes. Optional auditor access gives an examiner read access without handing over admin keys, so an outside reviewer sees what they need without being able to edit or remove anything. Granular permissions keep everyone else scoped to their own role, and you can still download any transaction with its documents and history to hand over.
What support comes with Paperless Pipeline?
Real people answer by email and phone, and when you contact Paperless Pipeline you reach the people who build and run the product. A searchable help center with step-by-step guides and in-product help covers everyday questions. Support costs nothing extra: there is no setup fee and no support fee on any plan.
Try the audit trail and free monthly backups on your own deals.
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